Thursday, April 30, 2009

{Friday Quote}

"Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. 
The day as it comes. 
People as they come... 
The past, I think has helped me appreciate the present - 
and I don't want to spoil any 
of it by fretting about the future."

-Audrey Hepburn


Happy Friday To You!

Image via: Coté Bastide

{a little sunshine for ya!}


A little kiss of sunshine for your day!

bécote (bay-kowt) noun, masculine

  : a little kiss



Monday, April 27, 2009

{My lifelong blessings }


Me, Jami, Paige and Lori
Above are images of my lifelong precious soul friends from last month. Yes, they are beautiful on the outside, but what they have in their hearts outshines any of that! I am better in all ways for knowing these women. 

What a blast and a true blessing to have a day with them! These moments are rare with them in life, but when we are together it is as if not one day or second has passed between us. Oh, we laughed so hard and at the end of the day their husbands were actually pulling away in their cars to get us to leave one another's company..., and we laughed again! 

These women make me funnier, try harder, love God in a more pure and solid way, think deeper, or lighter, or hope fuller and more of everything else in life!
We have seen much in this life between the four of us. We have expereinced smiles big and pain to the depths of one's soul together. The sweetness is always knowing that even if we don't see one another that we know where to find one another and that prayers, laugther and unspoken support is just there! Always! We always find a way back to one another's company, be it a phone call or email to always find laughter within the conversation. All of the conversations ending with a "We need to find time to get together more often."
I am grateful for each of these women and know my soul is better for knowing them too. Paige's post from before Easter said it perfectly. I pray you friends like this too in life to walk through life with, where Come What May, always has a smile at the end of every story. 

Thank you three for being my lifelong blessings! I pray I can bless you back 100 fold!
I love you three girls!

{A little Monday Positive for ya on being BRAVE!}

Count it a JOY
When life gets hard.
God is doing something HUGE!
He is also proving
That you are NOT a fake.

Be BRAVE, Mighty Warrior
Your God is with you!
When Waves are Crashing,
STAND to your feet.
Throw your head back
and FEEL the wind of the Spirit!

God is painting a MASTERPIECE
with Multi-colored trials.
Go forth and display
Divine special effects
To the Great Glory of GOD.

YOU CAN DO IT!

-Beth Moore


Because we all need a little BRAVE in us well......., ALWAYS!

"We either make ourselves miserable,
or we make ourselves strong.
The amount of work is well, the same!"
-Carlos Castaneda

Sending you a little BRAVE and Smiles/Sunshine all over you this Monday!

Image via: cig harvey

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Me and My Girls


Me with my two cutie nieces (Gabrielle and Peyton Grace). Oh how I love them so!

Monday, April 20, 2009

{Silver Lining}


Silver Lining
: a hopeful or comforting prospect in the midst of difficulty.
: a consoling or hopeful prospect

Function: n.
Etymology: [from the proverb “every cloud has a silver lining”]
Date: 1871....
I mean if the saying has been around that long it has to hold some truth!..., Right?!

My apologies for not posting for a couple of weeks. So much work and some heart-life challenges going on. I wish to only post fun stuff. But girls life is about learning too, smile!

So, I waited and then well, just letting you all in on the
fact that I am human, going through some heart struggles and just learning some things.

I am not good with being transparent with my private stuff as my lifelong friend will tell you. I am a work in progress, but sometimes think there is value in keeping things private. I just am real, without being a victim, and hopefully more a woman in training to be all that God desires of my heart to be. So lean in I will to his whisper and learn and see what he does with my life challenges. No matter what happens....God my friends is still good and my heart will definitely change for the better!

I have many fun pictures to post of fun family and friend things and a future fun baking adventure that a precious and might I add very fun blog friend of mine
(Wink, you know who you are!) and I are possibly taking on, so there could be something fun and hilarious to see soon.

For now just keeping it real with ya....

My Motto is that life holds challenges, but there is ALWAYS a silver lining to find! Always!
I am strong in my soul and more resilient than people would guess of me.
So trust that through this I will be in smile mode all along and find
funny in things no matter how tough. It is just how I survive!

Don't cry when the sun is gone,
because the tears won't let you see the stars. ~Violeta Parra


Oh, this picture below says it all! Ever feel like that? I had to laugh and out-loud no less!
The skirt color in this image matches my eyes...that has to have some positive in it, smile!

Sometimes you have to take yourself to a different place to see things more clearly and work out within yourself how one must grow. (You know you do!)

Adversity enhances this tale we call life. ~Ever Garrison

Sometimes the below picture doesn't match up with the heart....
But, because I know sometimes it sooooo does, smile...

...., I go to my desk because my mind has to be solution oriented and find many glass half full thoughts, God's whisper and well, do what I can and not shrink back and find humor in the midst!

Growing in our hearts is just going to happen along the road of life. And well that is where I am in life, but this girly will choose to be a woman of faith and gentle joy.

Admittedly, my first thought is to wish I was on a trip somewhere!

And have a glass of wine or two! HA. I am a lightweight!
Who am I kidding?
My two is like five to someone else. The sleep would be nice though, smile!
I took a trip to Jamaica and Mexico once years ago in the midst of matters of the heart.

There is truth to the statement......
"Wherever you go there you are!" (I am just saying people! You know it's true!)

I did get an outstanding tan though, and had my very own personal pool,
and fresh fruit laid out for me each day, smile!

So, to lean into the issues and work through them seems to find me better suited for a trip when grace and joy hit my heart fully again. I would not miss out on learning all I have in the last little while either. It is good for the soul to grow. We would be so very boring otherwise, smile!

(We don't want to be boring now do we?!)

So, I go and write down all that is positive and I am grateful for and thank God
for each breath and the ability to think on whatever is true, noble...and worthy of praise.
And possibly go somewhere and find my favorite yum, Creme Brullé, or coffee!
But, I would much rather get on my Treadmill and do something positive and run it out!
My love for working out is very much comparable to a child's love for Disney World.
It really is!

...Did I tell you that I have been running a lot lately!!!!!! Smile!
I have said this before and deleted but it still holds true.

Sometimes things have to fall apart so other things can fall together.

They just do people. So lean in with a joy filled heart I will.
...and well
look out and up and realize wow!
Kristin, you have so much to be grateful for and an amazing life!!!!!

...And then take a trip to the Turks and Caicos...HA!

This is not a negative at all but a positive.

Soul growing is a good thing and sunshine will be found.
It just will be...!!!!


“Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain”
Isaiah 40:4

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way. ~Author Unknown

I still believe in Happy-Ever-After! 

Just in a grown woman, more solid and whole kind of way.

I truly believe that dreams can and will come true! I just do!

Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive - Josephine Hart.

Smile! That last quote just made me giggle.

And yes...Every cloud has a Silver Lining...It just does!

Hope your week is fantastic!

Pictures via many places (citified, cig harvey, plus), but my source is on my home office desk. Will post later.

Friday, April 10, 2009

{Happy Easter Weekend!}

Happy Easter Weekend to you!

I hope you have a blast with family hunting eggs
and baskets of candy with your little people,
much smile time with your family/friends
and
precious time reflecting on the one
that delighted in us enough to do something amazing for our eternity!

So grateful am I!

Happy Day to You!

Image via citified

Thursday, April 9, 2009

{Do Something That Matters}


This song is just a good reminder to go do something that matters!

Please mute the playlist at the bottom of the page to listen.
The band is Lady Antebellum. Love their voices.

Hope you find inspiration today and send someone a smile of great encouragement!
Just makes the heart feel good. It does people, I promise!

Friday, April 3, 2009

{Just Happy Friday}

I hope your weekend finds you smiling and full 
of happy and just worth remembering moments!

..., I know that is my plan at least as I look forward to our annual great and laughter-filled Easter Saturday Celebration with my family and best friends in the world at the farm!
I know it is the week before Easter... We are just all fun like that!!!!!

A little quote for your Friday...

"There is work that is work and there is play that is play; 
there is play that is work and work that is play. 
And in only one of these lie happiness."
-Gelett Burgess

image via: decorology

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Joyeaux anniversaire mon tendre ami


Joyeaux anniversaire mon tendre ami  - Happy birthday my tender friend.
Today is my friend Paige's birthday. Happy Birthday Girly!

You my friend are likened to a warm sunny spring day with many smiles,
 sitting on the beach with toes in the sand 
and a great cup of perfectly made sweet tea, 
watching the waves go in and out gently kind of girly!

I am so grateful for the gift of friendship we share and have shared..., for a lifetime!

• The family moments we share!
• Creative love of funky-cool-stuff and ideas we share!
• The laugh-out-loud moments we share!
• The hard moments we share & that we can find smiles or even laughter in the midst of yuck!
• The hope we find in conversation and always God too!
• The prayer warrior prayers we share!
• The, it's okay to be you, perfect just as you are we share!
• The, I am always here for you no matter what grace we share!

I appreciate you and love you dearly my life long tender friend!

Happy, Happy Day and Life to you!!!!!!!!!!